BBC Kilroy 'regrets' anti-Arab comments

BBC ^ | 01/09/2004 | BBC

[BushisTheMan]

The Kilroy programme will be suspended from Monday Television presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk has apologised for a newspaper article in which he made anti-Arab comments.

He said he greatly regretted the offence caused by the Sunday Express article, which was written in April but "republished last weekend in error".

In it, he branded Arabs "suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors" and asked what they had given to the world other than oil.

Earlier, the BBC suspended the Kilroy show while it investigates the matter.

The corporation stressed the comments did not reflect its views as a broadcaster.

In a statement, Mr Kilroy-Silk said: "I greatly regret the offence which has been caused by the article published in last weekend's Sunday Express.

It has obviously caused great distress and offence and I can only reiterate that I very deeply regret that Robert Kilroy-Silk "The article contains a couple of obvious factual errors which I also regret."

Mr Kilroy-Silk said the article had not prompted such an outcry the first time it was published, adding it was "not what I would have said today".

"It was originally written as a response to the views of opponents to the war in Iraq that Arab States 'loathe' the West and my piece referred to 'Arab States' rather than 'Arabs'," he said.

"Out of that context, it has obviously caused great distress and offence and I can only reiterate that I very deeply regret that."

'Ignorance'

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) described the piece written by the discussion show host in last week's Sunday Express as a "gratuitous anti-Arab rant".

Mr Kilroy-Silk's article included comments saying the toppling of despotic regimes in the Middle East should be a war aim, and questioned the contribution of the Arab nations to world welfare and civilisation.

He said Arabs "murdered more than 3,000 civilians on 11 September" and then "danced in the streets" to celebrate.

I certainly think he's entitled to his opinions Perry de Havilland Libertarian Alliance

The MCB secretary general Iqbal Sacranie wrote in a letter to BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey that Mr Kilroy-Silk had failed to distinguish between the terrorists behind the 11 September attacks and 200 million "ordinary Arab peoples".

Mr Sacranie condemned the "bigoted and ill-informed ideas" in the piece, which he said was "ignorant, extremely derogatory and indisputably racist".

The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) reported the matter to the police.

CRE chairman Trevor Phillips commended the BBC for taking swift action on the matter.

He said: "It is unbelievable. It's not just what he says, but the way he says it, which is completely offensive, and the level of ignorance he shows."

TV host defended

But Perry de Havilland of the Libertarian Alliance defended the television host's right to free speech.

He told BBC News: "Blackening everyone in an entire civilisation is intemperate, to put it mildly.

"But I certainly think he's entitled to his opinions and I don't see why he's been whipped from pillar to post for it."

He said anti-American views expressed by newspaper columnists did not prompt as much uproar.

BBC Breakfast will continue for an extra half hour on BBC One, to 0930 GMT, while Kilroy is off air.

Mr Kilroy-Silk owns the company that makes the programme.

[Prime Choice]

That's nice.

When can we expect a press release from all these radical Imams who "regret" their anti-American, anti-Christian and overall anti-Western Civilization statements?

Oh...right...never.

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[BushisTheMan]

I guess I forgot the "barf alert"

[RussianConservative]

In it, he branded Arabs "suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors" and asked what they had given to the world other than oil.

So what is answer?

[FormerLib]

Well, if he makes enough anti-American comments, I'm sure they'd hire him back.

[Pitiricus]

Good question... Hummm... Nothing?

[BushisTheMan]

I can't think of anything the Arabs have given me.

[polemikos]

In it, he branded Arabs "suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors" and asked what they had given to the world other than oil.

So what is answer?

Fallacious question. Arabs didn't give the world oil. Western exploration companies did.

[Eris]

Dammit Kilroy - stick to your guns.

You actually offered evidence that there may yet be hope for Europe.

[observer5]

"and asked what they had given to the world other than oil....

So where is the answer? They fired him because they don't have another answer. That's all they have given - for the last couple of hundred years.

[Eris]

Headache. Homicidal rage. Daily body counts of innocents. Knowledge of such practices as honor killings.

The list is boundless.

[Jim Noble]

He said he greatly regretted the offence caused by the Sunday Express article, which was written in April but "republished last weekend in error". In it, he branded Arabs "suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors" and asked what they had given to the world other than oil.

So?

The "given the world oil" isn't even true.

They didn't find it.

They had no use for it once it was found

They did not discover, invent, or even fabricate the means of extraction, refinement, transportation, or storage of it.

They have not invented ONE SINGLE THING which can use or profit from the end product.

And they manufacture nothing that has any relevance to the discovery or exploitation of this natural resource.

Nixon was an idiot to let them take it, and Bush is an idiot to keep up the "it belongs to them" rubbish.

[Argus]

Algebra.

For that alone, I say nuke them all!

[Peter Libra]

Orwell was right. The fine art of political correctness here. The phony outrage is all orchestrated. Attack, attack, and attack. It works. These groups know how to work the rotten system to a nicety. Nice to have a Free Republic though, here in North America, especially for an Englishman. Damn them, damn their eyes- as Captain Bligh of the Bounty would say.

[RussianConservative]

Nope, much mathematics arab salvage from own destruction of Library of Alexandria, where Greek, Phenician and Latin knowledge store. Even Arabic Numerals actually by Hindus brought to Baghdad and stolen by Arabs (renamed) when city falls.

Only thing they give us is cancer of Islam.

[RussianConservative]

I can think of plenty they give you: insecurity, higher taxes for spending on protection, higher air plane fees, lots of CNN reporting, racist (but PC) rallies, checkered head scarfs, suicide vests with nifty explosives.

[RussianConservative]

Female circumsition, Days of Rage, car bombings....fine carpets...(ok one positive)

[RussianConservative]

There is lots of hope for Europe: Russians, Serbs, Greeks, Bulgars, Romanians...oh wait, they all Orthodox...could it be Orthodoxy only Christian faith to not loose mind?

[Restorer]

fine carpets...(ok one positive)

Actually, most of these carpets aren't (or weren't) made by Arabs. Most were made by various tribes of Turkish and similar origin, or by people we would today call Iranians.